Nikola Jokic
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The Denver Nuggets have revamped the roster around Nikola Jokic this offseason.
With around three weeks before training camp, the Denver Nuggets have an open roster spot. The Nuggets have 14 players under standard contracts and three players signed to two-way deals.
Bennett Durando of The Denver Post listed forward depth and experience as two of the problems the Nuggets are going to face next season. He wrote that one of the players executive vice president of basketball operations Ben Tenzer could monitor is Kevin Love, who was traded to the Utah Jazz this offseason.
“One idea worth throwing out there is Kevin Love. The 37-year-old is widely expected to be traded or bought out by Utah before the season, and when he does, a contender will scoop him up. Maybe he gets an encore in Cleveland or joins one of the Los Angeles teams. But why not Denver?” Durando wrote on September 8.
Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported on August 3 that Love is looking for ways to get out of Utah and is not expected to begin the season with the Jazz. At 37 years old, with one NBA championship and considered one of the best rebounders of his generation, the five-time All-Star fits Durando’s need for the Nuggets.
Other Options for the Denver Nuggets
Kevin Love is not the only option for the Denver Nuggets to fill their 15th roster spot. Mile High Sports’ Ryan Blackburn namedropped Russell Westbrook and DeAndre Jordan, who played for the Nuggets last season.
Both are solid options, but Blackburn explained why the two veterans weren’t brought back. Westbrook’s time in Denver was full of highs and lows and Jordan’s spot was taken over by Jonas Valanciunas.
Another option for the Nuggets is converting one of their two-way contracts to a standard one, but it might be best to wait for training camp.
“They could be waiting to elevate a two-way player to a roster spot and then adding a new two-way to the roster. Spencer Jones, Tamar Bates, and Curtis Jones are Denver’s two-ways currently. While all three showed flashes of NBA caliber play at Summer League in July, it would likely take more in training camp or preseason to make an impression worthy of the 15th spot,” Blackburn wrote on September 8.
Denver Nuggets Not Pressured to Fill Final Roster Spot
The Denver Nuggets front office had a pretty busy offseason, acquiring Cameron Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas via trade. The Nuggets also signed Kessler Edwards, Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. to solidify their depth.
According to Bennett Durando, executive vice president of basketball operations Ben Tenzer doesn’t feel any pressure to fill the team’s final roster spot. They might even wait until the trade deadline to make a move.
“Ben Tenzer has said he feels no pressure to fill the final spot before training camp at the beginning of October. It might even benefit the Nuggets to wait until the trade deadline, when they can react to roster deficiencies instead of predicting them,” Durando wrote.
With more depth surrounding Nikola Jokic next season, the Nuggets are just second to the defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder for the best odds to win the 2026 NBA championship.